Game apparatus



H. KOHIROGAWA May 22, 1934.

GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet .1

Flevd Dec. 22, 1930 mm y HHM/ICH! 10H/0679 .Wim

ATTOR NEY May 22, 1934- H. KOHIROGAWA 1,960,113

GAME APPARATUS Filed Deo. 22, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ITE -4.

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. HHRUJC'HJ Kan/06am 5*. INVENTOR WITNESS:

Y ATTOR N EY H. KoHlRoGAwA 1,960,113

GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 22, 19.30 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 22, 1934.

HHRUfc'HfA/aH/Howwfy INVENTOR ATTORNEY N\ .AIGH

Patented May 22, 1934- l..

GAME A 'rrnimilusY Haruichi Kohirogawa, New York, N. Y, Application December 22,1930, Serial No.1504,199

' 6cm-rms. lor. 265-520)- The subject of this invention is animproved apparatus whereby, indoors or in a relatively con- Vfined space, a golf player can practice, as many` times as he likes, one or more-strokes, desirably in the sequence usual in playing a typical-hole on a full size golf course, and in each case determine with reasonable accuracy the length and direction of the flight ofthe ball following such strokes, as those given by a driver, a mashie, a putter and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind just indicated, `wherein cumbersome, expensive and complicated apparatus'of the kind heretofore proposed will be avoided, yet a practicing or playing apparatus will be provided which will permit fair scoring based on skill, as in a contest between'several players, which will have teaching value-to! one endeavoring to improve his game, and which'will avoid any monotony because providing, when desired, a variety Y of successive strokes as aforesaid, and because resulting in the registration of any stroke in positive terms having areal relationto the playing of the game of golf on an actual golf course.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter specifically pointed out, or Will become apparent, as the specification proceeds.

With the above indicated objects in View, the

.invention resides-in certain novel constructions and combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following drawings, which latter show embodiments of the invention as at present preferred. I K

In said drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a topplan view, showingl one form of'v and partially in section, showing certain ofthe parts as seen in Fig. 2 but on an enlarged scale,

this Fig. 5 being taken on substantially the lne 5--5 of Fig.,6; Y i

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, that is, looking toward` the left in Figs. 2

and5; Y. Y

Fig."7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modified form of pivotally mounted target; i

Fig. 8 is a view similar to the left hand end of Fig. 2, but illustrating the parts of Figl;

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several Yviews ofthe drawings. f Y

Referring preliminary to all the various embodimentazthe. aforesaid cage is illustrated as including a wooden, composition or other suitablefloor 15, a back walllpreferably similarly constructed, and top and side -Walls marked respectively 17 and 18; these walls being preferably built up of netting, woven fabric or metal wire, and the dimensions of the cage 4being such that its `height 65 is such that the ordinary player may Walk therein on the floor 15without stooping, which height I have found, may conveniently be made seven or eight feet. Various framing members are provided as clearly shown in the various views, to which reference characters will not be applied except where required'to explain a carried or associated element or device. Y

Preferably,in anycase also, as shown in'Fig.v 1, the top and side walls;` hereinafter called Vthe screens, are extended to, but not beyond, an end portion or prolongation 15 of the oor 15, hereinafter called the stance platform; thus leaving the space above and at opposite sides of this platform clear for free swinging of the particular club the player is then using. VIf desired, auxiliary side frames 19 and V20, over which are stretched screens of the kind already described, may be provided, and these Vframes may be vertically hinged as indicated at21,-so that either 85"V or both thereof may be swung outwardly as desired, and according to whether or not the player is left handed or right handed, and-according to whether or not he has a tendency to slice the ball on say a drive or mashie shot. In Fig. 1, forV 9 (J` example, 'the auxiliary frame 20 is shown as out.- wardly readjusted to the dotted line position 20".

Onthe stance platform 15' is a teeing-up device hereinafter called a tee; such device; as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, including a tee proper 23, prefg5'v erably of rubberV and shaped to present a cup 24 at its top on which-to place the golf ball before each stroke. This element 23 is pivotally hung by a pin 25 within a well 26 in platform 15'; theVV lower end of the device carrying a weight 26 of 100 such'size and mass as always `*to return the vtee proper to .the vertical position illustrated. llin order that the cup 24 may be set at different heights above the stance platform, to suit different players, a pluralityof apertures asshown may be formed through the tee proper at dif-1 ferent points along its 1ength,.and the pin in-i sertedthrough the proper hole to give the desired Y result; `the projecting ends of the pin 25resting platform 15' at opposite sides of the well 26. In order to holdV the tee against accidental vibration during a players stroke, a leaf-spring 27 having a central bow may bemounted in the bottom of the well as indicated in Fig. 1, under such tension at said bow as not to interfere with the tee always returning to verticalposition under the gravity action of the weight 26 yet to hold the tee ordinarily as just described.

Referring now particularly Ato. the pivotally mounted target and registering means of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. '1 to 6, the target itself is indicated at 28, pivotally hung at 29. This target is made up (Fig. 4) of a framing 3,0 and a` tautly stretched facing 31, of some suitable ma-A terial, as canvas or fibrous or metal screening or y the like. Due to the comparative elevation o f the pivot points 29, the target of its own weight will tend to hang vertically, that is, as shown in Fig. 4. A cord 32 is attached'at one end, at 33, to the vmid=top of the target, and passesV overa pulley 34, and then, as shownbest in Figs. 5 and 6, .overa pulley, 35, iinally to beconnected at its oppositeV end to a cross-head 36; this cross-head be,- ing slidable up and down between four parallelly arranged round rods 37 byvirtue of having four suitably spaced half round parallelly arranged recesses on the back and front faces of saidy crosshead. Two of such grooves are shown in Fig. 5. Qn Opposite ends saidcross-head carries oppositely projeetedpointers 38 and 39 as shown in Fig. 6, for coacting with the columns of gures 40 and 41 there shown, these columns being on the frontface of thejback wall 16. Y y

Also as shown most clearly rin Figs. 5 and 6, the four r9ds'37 shown are the upstandingelements of two U-shaped wire members, having their bottom bowl portions S'Ya'passed loosely through parallel apertures in upstanding bosses 42a of a plate 42, suitably secured on top lof a block43 attached to said back Wall; thuspivotally mounting the lower portions of the rodsto'make of them a frame, hereinafter called the frame 3 7, swingable to the broken line position 37 of Fig. 5. Said rods are frictionally-yetsecurely locked at the proper spacings on the frame, and the frame is made rigid and completed by having the upper -end portions of said rods tight in suitable apertures through a cylindrical header 44 preferably of rub- 1 ber or some other suitable material. When made of rubber or otherresilient composition, which is preferred, the frictional hold onthe upper ends of the rods will besecure, and at the same time such header functions -as .a buffer to prevent shock on the swinging frame when it comes to rest at either ofits possible positions, those shown in full linesand in broken lines in Fig. 5. The full line position of said frame is its normal one, and. the Yframe is held in this position by a weight 45 secured to-thev lower end of, a cord 46 running over the top of back wall 16 (Fig. 5), and then carried forward and attached to eye 47'secured to the top of header 44. Another cord 48 is secured to said eye, and rnnsforward1y to near the stance platform 15. (Figs .,1 and 2), guided' through eyes 49 and 50, and terminating in a debetween the columns 40 and 41,' are a series of horizontal ribs 53aligned with the figures of the columns; and on the back of the cross-head 36 is a leaf-spring 54 bent downwardly and backwardly as shown.y

When it is finally explained in connection with these Figs. 1 to 6, that the cord 32 is nicely adjustable as desired, by means of a turn-buckle 33', and that at a suitable point along the floor 16 a cup for putting is located at a suitable point, such as at 55, and that preferably a transverse screen 56 is hung from the top wall of the cage Ato have its lower end 56a depend .at about the level of the target pivots 29, the structural details of this embodiment will have been described.

The operation of said embodiment may be as follows:

r-Y'Ihe ball B is drivenat the target, by the use of any club prescribed for the particular stage of. the play now reached according to the rules adopted 'for the fhole then being played. Usu- ,ally-ther5t stroke will be with a driver; then perhaps with apmidiron; then perhaps with a mashie; and so on.V For each stroke, the ball B is teed up on the device 22and then driven toward the target; the force of the blow, when the ball strikes the target below its pivot line, rocking the targetin the direction indicated. by the broken Vline showing of Fig. 2. Then the target is driven through an angle measuring the force of ktherzball when thelatter strikes. angle Ais translated into yards of distance, repre,- sented by -the gures in the columns 40 and 4l; $11011 Yardage being fegstled, C11184 t0 the corresponding rise of the cross-head 36 along the lengthof uframe 37, the cross-head being thus pulled by the cord. 3 2.v When the target starts to swing back by gravity-to its normal vertical position; the lower end of the leaf-spring 54 on the back of the cross-head. becomes caught behind the highest rib 5 3 just previously passed; and, the `distale@ reading ,is registered for any length of time desired. To resetthe `pointers 38 for thenext stroke, and alsothe target, the ring `5 1is pulled down, and this causes the cord 48 to swing the 4frame 3 7 to the position 37' of Fig.Y 2, whereupon ythe cross head 36, which is heavy enough for the purpose, ydrops by gravity to theaposition shownin Figs. 5 and 6 and so takes up the slack and the cord 32. Then, when the ring 51 is released, the weight 45 restores theirame .37 back. to the full line position ofv Fig. 5', that is, as shown in Fig. 6. The rules may be any desired. For instance, during the approach period, the yardage Obtained from the rst stroke, say that with the driver, Will` determine which club is` to be used for the next stroke; and so on. The nalstroke is a putting stroke, the object being to get the ball B in the cup 56 with the least possible stroke.` Then, if the iirst putt be required to be taken from the tee 22, the whole iloor 15, in front of the target, becomes temporarily the putting green.

Referringnext to theembodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 6, a vtarget6'7 somewhat different from the targets previously described is employed, but the yardage registering mechanism is precisely likel that shown in Figs. 1 to 6, as ndicatedv in Fig. 8. The target67 is. built up of a main framing 67 and an auxiliary framing 67, the facingv 31a being the same, however, as described above for the facing 31 of Figs. 1 to 6, yet carrying, .asshowm a canvas or other suitable bulls-.eye 68. Further, instead of a single pivotal mounting for the target as in Figs. 1 to This 6,.th`e target 67 has a pivotal mounting adjustable whenever desired as tov height; thismounting including a, pair of projecting 'endsY 67a of the framing 67, to act aslpivot points, and a .5 plurality of coacting pivot cups 6,8 arranged here Yinfthree sets atthree levels as indicated; it

being understood that as the `pivot axis of the.

target is raised more *and more, the center of the bulls-eye is raised more and more, and such changeset elevation could be respectively appropriate to strokes made by different clubs relative to' the ball B. A cord 32', similar to the cord 32 oi Fig. l, for operating the aforesaid registering mechanism of Fig. 3, is run from an'eye 69 at the top center of the target 67, to said registering mechanism, to be operatively connected with the latter exactly as previously described, as will be seen from Fig. 5, noting the pulley 35 of Fig. 8 which corresponds to the puliey of Fig; 5. This eye 5.9 is at the top of a rectangular hanger 'liorapivotally hung counter-weight 71; said hanger at its lower portion having swivelled through the same the male threaded member of a turn-buckleSB" corresponding in function to the turn-'buckle 33' of Fig. 5. Note that thispivotally hung weight will have a different counter-weighing relative to the swinging target, after the latter is struck by a ball driven at it, than a counter-weight merely fixed somewhere near the top of the target. Note, finally, that despite the alternative use of pivot cups 68, the cord 32 is always maintained the proper length, without a readjustment of turn-buckle 33", due to the fact that the 35 pairs of cups are arranged with their centers in the proper oblique plane as indicated in Fig. 8.

I claim:

l. A golf playing apparatus comprising, an enclosure having a back wall, a target mounted within and to the enclosure for swinging movement, an upright frame disposed back of and spaced from said target and pivotally mounted at its lower end on the back wall of the enclosure, a crossliead movable up and down the frame and f f1' having a pointer registrable with distance indications arranged in columnar form beside the frame, operative connections between the target and the crosshead to raise the latter when pivotal movement is imparted to the target, yielding means g; attached to the upper end of the frame for maintaining the latter in vertical position, releasable means for retaining the crosshead in the position to whichit may be raised by the swinging of the target and adapted for release by movement of said frame from vertical position, and means for moving the upper end of the frame todispose it out of vertical position to .permit the return of the crosshead to normal position, said yielding means returning the frame to vertical position after the operation of the last said means.

2. A golf playing apparatus comprising, an enclosure having a back wall,V a target mounted within and to the enclosure for swinging movement, an upright frame disposed back of and spaced from said target and pivotally mounted at its lower end on the back wall of the enclosure, said frame comprising spaced parallel bars, a crosshead movable on said bars, spaced horizontal ribs disposed on said back wall, between the bars L? of said frame, the crosshead having means to engage the said ribs to hold itself to the position to which it may be elevated on said frame by movement oi the target, the crosshead having a pointer registrable with distance indications arpi ranged in columnar form on said support beside -said frame, operative connections between 'the targetand the crosshead to raise the latter when pivotal movement is imparted to the target, yielding means attached to the upperend of the'frame `for maintaining it in vertical position 'against '80 said back wall, and means for swinging the frame away-from said back Vwall at the upper end to releasesaidV crosshead, said yielding means returning the frame to vertical position after the release of the last said means. l i

3; A: golf playing apparatus comprising an enclosure having a back wall, a target mountedV within and to the enclosure for swinging movement,.:an upright frame disposed back of and spaced from said target and pivotally mounted at its lower end on the back wall of .the enclosure, said frame" comprising spaced parallel bars, a crossheadmovablecn said bars, spaced horizontal ribs :disposed on said back wall, between the bars of said frame, the crosshead having means to engagethe said ribs to hold itself to the position to which it may be elevated ori-said frame by movement of the target, and alsoliaving a pointer registrable with distance indications arranged in columnar form on said back wall beside said frame, operative connections between the target and the crosshead toraise the latter when pivotal movement is imparted to the target, `yielding means attached to the upper end of the frame for maintaining it in vertical position against Vsaid back wall, and means for swinging the frame away from said back wall at the upper end to release said crosshead, said yielding means returning the frame to vertical position against said support after the release of the last said means, said yielding means comprising a weight, and a flexible member connecting the weight with the frame at the upper end of the latter and trained over said back wall.

4. A golf playing apparatus comprising, an enclosure having a back wall, a target mounted within and to the enclosure for swinging movement, an upright frame-disposed back of and spaced from said target and pivotally mounted at its lower end on the back wall of the enclosure, said frame comprising spaced parallel bars, a crosshead movable on said bars, spaced horizontal ribs disposed on said back wall, between the bars of said frame, the crosshead having means to engage `the said ribs to hold itself to the position to which it may be elevated on said frame by movement of the target, and also having a pointer registrable with distance indications arranged in columnar form on said back wall beside said frame, operative connections between the target and the crosshead to raise the latter when pivotal movement is imparted to the target, yielding means attached to the upper end of the frame for maintaining it in vertical position against said back wall, and

means for swinging the frame away from said V back wall at the upper end to release said crosshead, said yielding means returning the frame to vertical position against said back wall after the release of the last said means, said yielding means comprising a weight, and a flexible member connecting the weight with the frame at the upper end of the latter and trained over said back wall, and the means for moving the upper end of the frame consisting of a flexible member connected to the upper Vend of the frame and pulleys over which said iiexible member is trained to a remote point, said ilexible member extending in a direction away from said back wall.

5. A golf playing apparatus comprising,4 an enclosure having a back wall, a target mounted 150.

within and to the enclosure yfor swinging Ymovement, an upright frame disposed back of and spaced from said target and pi-Votally mounted at its lower end .on the back wall of the enclosure,

said frame comprising spaced kparallel bars,A a` crosshead movable on said bars, spaced horizontal ribs disposed on said back wall, between the bars of said frame, the crosshead having means to engage the said ribs to holditself to the position to which it may be elevated on said frame by movement of the target, `the crosshead having a pointer registrable with distance indications arranged in columnar form on said back Vwall beside said frame, a flexible member 'connecting said crosshead to the upper edge of said target, ayoke mounted at the upper edge f saidvv back wall in surrounding relation to the upper end of the frame and having a pulley over which said flexible member is trained, the yoke determining the amount of swinging movement that may be imparted yto the frame, and flexibleme'mbers terminally anchored to the frame and extending in opposite directions therefrom, one over the upper edge of said back wall and being provided with a weight andthe other being carried to a remote point and being provided with a pull knob.

6. A golf playingY apparatus compat'ising,l an

i enclosure having a back wall; `a target mounted within and to the enclosure for'` swinging movever inem-1e ment, an upright frame disposed back of and spaced from said target and pvotally mounted at its lower. end on the back wall of the enclosure, said frame comprising spaced parallel bars, a crosshead movable onsaid bars, spaced horizontal ribs disposed on said back wall, between the bars of said frame, the crosshead having means to engage the said ribs to hold itself to the position to which it may be elevated on said frame by movement of the target,` the crosshead having a pointer registrable with distance indications arranged in Ycolumnar form on said back wall beside said frame,

a flexible member connecting said crosshead to the upper edge of said target a yoke mounted at the upper edge of said back wall in surrounding relation to the upper end of the frame and having a pulley over which said nexible member is trained, the yoke determining the Y amount of swinging movement that may be imparted to the frame, and flexible members terminally anchored to the frame and extending in opposite directions therefrom, one over the upper edge of said back wall and vbeing provided with a weight and the other being carried to a remote' point and provided with a pull knob, the frame having a header engageable respectively wthrthe yoke andwith the back wall in the two extreme positions of the frame with reference to the back Wall.

HARUICHI KOI-IIROGAWA. 

